


My Husband's Wine

by Umbr_el_on



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, F/M, Happy Ending, Running Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbr_el_on/pseuds/Umbr_el_on
Summary: After a long, tense week, Dorothea was all too ready to visit with Ashe again. With a bottle of slightly better wine in hand and a thicker coat wrapped around her, she took extra care to be quiet as she slipped into the night. Her husband had been more harsh and domineering towards her, his suspicions of her drawing out the worst parts of him and making her feel suffocated. If Dorothea had been disillusioned with their marriage before, she was downright cynical now.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Kudos: 11





	My Husband's Wine

A gust of icy wind bent the trees looming over the moonlit graveyard. Rows of worn stone were dusted with snow that swirled around in the breeze, chilling the few living visitors who rested on stone benches. Dorothea felt her fingers begin to go numb as she pulled her jacket tighter around her body. Ashe took note and wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders, pulling her closer to share warmth.

Even through several layers of thick clothes, Dorothea could feel the callouses on Ashe’s hands catch on the fabric. Even during the winter, when his work on the farm was lightest, those tough patches persisted. Dorothea had initially found them strange, but the soft pulls on her clothes were now a familiar comfort.

Ashe took a sip from the cup he held in his other hand, crinkling his nose at the taste before going back for more. “Your husband has horrible taste in wine.”

Dorothea snorted and leaned into Ashe’s chest. “It isn’t all bad. I just take what I know he won’t miss.”

Ashe stared down at the dirt where grass was meant to be, a longing expression on his face. “One of these days, we should run off with all the good stuff.”

Dorothea allowed silence to follow. It stung more than the wind blasting her face, but she wouldn’t dare entertain Ashe’s suggestion of leaving, no matter how seriously or lightly he meant it. It was a boundary she still held herself to. Even walking the few minutes from her husband’s estate to get here was difficult enough. No matter how hollow her life at home felt, it wasn’t right to disappear from.

“Dorothea…” Ashe, despite knowing why she was quiet, looked over with a curious gaze.

Dorothea just stared back at him. Ashe must have gotten the message because he turned away and downed the rest of the wine in his cup. When he reached down to grab the half-empty bottle on the ground, Dorothea laid a gentle hand on his arm. When their eyes met, she shook her head. Ashe conceded and sat up again.

After a more comfortable moment of silence, Ashe spoke up again. “What is it that keeps you here?”

Dorothea was prepared with an answer, surprised it had taken Ashe several months to ask the question she’d braced for after mere weeks. “I’m not always sure. I’m not especially happy, but nothing is wrong, either. I suppose I still believe in the commitment I made when I got married, even if it isn’t the fairytale life of comfort I dreamed about.”

“So you’re just done searching for that?” Ashe didn’t sound upset, which Dorothea took great relief from.

“At the moment, yes. I make no promises either way.” Dorothea felt odd moving so sharply from her commitment to her marriage to her indecision about what the future held, but she didn’t know what else to say.

Ashe just nodded, understanding apparent in his eyes. Dorothea let that feeling of connection flutter in her heart. Swearing it was nothing deeper than companionship she craved, Dorothea forced herself to pull away from Ashe’s warm embrace. Dusting snow off of her pants, she offered Ashe a smile.

“It’s probably time for me to go home. You can take the wine with you.” Dorothea couldn’t quite meet Ashe’s eyes, but she could feel the intensity of them making her skin tingle.

Ashe opened his mouth as if to answer in one way, but he closed it and paused before saying something else. “Stay safe. Same time next week?”

Dorothea nodded and turned away. Boots crunching in the snow, she made haste towards the graveyard gates. She could hear Ashe doing the same towards the gate on the opposite side. Despite her heart aching at the growing distance between them, Dorothea pressed on and refused to look back.

* * *

The walk home was uneventful aside from a few small slips on icy patches of the road. What turned the boring stroll into a terrifying moment of exposure was the candles burning in the entryway windows to her house. Dorothea was positive she hadn’t left any candles burning. Taking a deep, invigorating breath before wiping her mouth, Dorothea approached her house and pushed through the door.

As expected, her husband waited in his favorite lounge chair. When the door creaked, his head shot up from resting on his hand. He rubbed sleep from his eyes before scanning over Dorothea.

“Where were you, dear?” Though the question sounded gentle, Dorothea could see the anger bubbling beneath his surface.

“I was out for a walk. Fresh air sounded wonderful, even if it’s cold.” Another answer she’d prepared months ago.

Her husband’s eyes narrowed. “Do you take me for a fool?”

Dorothea did her best to slide back into the gentle wife persona she’d worked on since getting married. “Of course not! I’m sorry if I worried you. Should I leave a note next time?”

“A note? How about not going on midnight strolls in the freezing cold?” He crossed his arms over his chest, inching closer to letting his anger break free.

The gentle wife persona slipped. “I’m not giving up walks in my favorite weather just because it makes you feel insecure.”

Dorothea knew she’d made a mistake when her husband rose to her feet. “I am  _ not  _ insecure, Dorothea,” he spat, extra venom poured into her name, “I am astounded that you have the audacity to play down my suspicion of your behavior. Why shouldn’t I assume there’s someone else? You certainly do not give the impression of commitment to me.”

Dorothea felt her patience crumbling, but she did her best to piece it back together before attempting to respond. “You may be right that I don’t ooze attachment, but I never have. You knew that when you married me, it isn’t fair to use that against me now.”

That point seemed to lessen his anger, his shoulders relaxing and arms falling to his sides. Dorothea felt relief rush through her, releasing the tension in her shoulders that she wasn’t aware had built up. He ran a hand through his hair before holding out his arms. He offered Dorothea a cautious and apologetic smile as she walked into his grip. He held her so tight it was uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to risk another argument by asking him to relax his hold.

“You’re right. How about we talk this over rationally in the morning?” They walked around the room to extinguish the candles before turning down the hall towards their room.

Dorothea hummed in agreement, mind already working on how she could navigate another pointed conversation. A small part of her felt guilty for lying, but the vast majority of her mind firmly believed it was only fair, given her husband’s past incidents of infidelity. She couldn’t help but notice how much less warmth she felt in her husband’s embrace as they walked. Sighing, she turned her face away to keep the wine on her breath a secret as she walked into what was sure to be another empty, lonely night of sharing a room with her husband.

* * *

Next meeting with Ashe, they drink a slightly better wine and discuss how little she knows about him. He goes into talking about himself, and Dorothea is forced to face the fact that she feels more attached with every detail he offers her.

After a long, tense week, Dorothea was all too ready to visit with Ashe again. With a bottle of slightly better wine in hand and a thicker coat wrapped around her, she took extra care to be quiet as she slipped into the night. Her husband had been more harsh and domineering towards her, his suspicions of her drawing out the worst parts of him and making her feel suffocated. If Dorothea had been disillusioned with their marriage before, she was downright cynical now.

Perhaps that was why Dorothea’s heart fluttered when she saw Ashe waiting in their usual spot. The light dusting of snow in his silver hair looked unearthly, like stars on moonlight. Realizing she’d stopped walking as she stared, Dorothea shook her head and finished walking towards their bench.

Ashe greeted her with a smile, but it was guarded. “Hi, Dorothea. I like your jacket.”

“Thank you,” Dorothea said as she sat down, “how are you?”

Ashe just shrugged as he pulled small cups for the wine from his pockets. Dorothea went along with it, opening the bottle and pouring a healthy amount into each cup before taking one to sip on. Ashe took a few gulps of his and Dorothea knew something was up by the way his eyes screwed shut when he lowered the cup and swallowed.

“I’m serious, Ashe, what’s up?” Dorothea asked more forcefully, turning to look at Ashe more directly.

Ashe groaned but still answered. “What is this, Dorothea?” He gestured between them to clarify what he meant.

“We’re taking breaks from our lives, whatever they may be, just in a graveyard instead of in a tavern.”

Ashe narrowed his eyes. “That’s what we’re doing. I asked what  _ we _ are.”

“And I don’t have an answer. I don’t know enough about you to make a decision on what this is.” Dorothea held Ashe’s gaze, curious to see what he’d do with that.

His face softened, as did his voice. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything. Everything.” Dorothea felt weak under Ashe’s gentle eyes, so different from the hardened glares her husband offered her.

It was as if her invitation broke a dam in Ashe and let him pour himself out to her. “I have two younger siblings, Lyra and Oliver, who help me out with the farm. We inherited it from my parents when they passed about 14 years ago. They know I come here at night to meet you, and they won’t stop pestering me to come along some day. When we’re not working the farm, the three of us like exploring the forest near the farm and playing with our livestock. I’ve always wanted to learn archery and get better at cooking, but–”

“Thank you.” Dorothea cut Ashe off to buy herself time to process the emotions flooding her chest.

With every detail he gave to her, she felt herself slipping further and further down a slope she was scared to descend. Scooting closer to Ashe, Dorothea found the proximity pushed her further down instead of stabilizing her. She shifted away again, her mind spinning and heart racing as she took a drink of her wine. It was terrifying and exhilarating to fall into what she could no longer pretend wasn’t love.

“Are you okay?” Ashe looked at Dorothea with worry written all over his face.

Dorothea smiled and nodded, for now concealing the realization she’d come to. Ashe let it go, turning to look out at the horizon as his body relaxed. She would share what she now knew in due time. At the moment, she needed to get a grip on herself and her situation. These emotions were quite a complication in the already messy life she’d found herself in.

* * *

As winter turned into spring, Dorothea’s resolve to stay with her husband melted away like the frost on the ground. He’d become angry and withdrawn. He took his frustrations out on Dorothea and then pulled away whenever she reacted to it. Their marriage had turned into the loveless trap she’d always feared, and it was time to do something and preserve herself before her life became inescapable.

Dorothea strode into the graveyard with purpose, shouting what she needed to say as soon as Ashe was in earshot. “I love you and I want to get out of here.”

Ashe stared at her in shock. Her resolve did not waiver as she sat down next to him, setting a hand on his knee. They just stared for a long moment. Dorothea couldn’t read Ashe’s expression.

“Dorothea, I…”

“Do you feel the same? I just need to know, it’s alright either way.” Dorothea’s heart hammered against her ribs, hand shaking on Ashe’s leg.

Ashe swallowed hard. “I love you, too. I just don’t want to run and have you resent me for letting it happen later.”

Dorothea laughed. “I don’t think I will. I’ve told you how he’s been acting lately, right? I’m tired of being treated so poorly. If not with you, I will leave on my own. This isn’t what I signed up for when I married for comfort. No amount of space or food is worth this.”

Ashe studied Dorothea for a second and must have found what he was looking for. “And where would we go? What about my siblings?”

“To your farm. My husband doesn’t know who I’m meeting, and the farm is a few hours ride from here, right?” Hope grew in Dorothea’s chest.

Ashe pondered her suggestion for a moment. “That’s not a bad idea, but how would we get there?”

“We meet up like this, you bring an extra horse for me, and I’ll pack a light bag to bring as we ride away.” Dorothea had thought about this plan for days, hoping to give Ashe no reason to reject her suggestion.

Ashe nodded after a long moment. Dorothea couldn’t stop a squeal of excitement from bursting free as she threw her arms around Ashe. It felt perfect to hold him, like this was exactly what she needed to do. Ashe returned the favor and pulled her closer. They lingered there for a long moment before moving on to planning the logistics of their getaway.

* * *

Dorothea had never felt as sure of herself as she did walking out of the front doors of her husband’s house for the last time. Slung over her shoulder was a bag of simple clothes and some money. She’d left behind almost all of the lavish gifts and needless trinkets her husband had bought her with over the past several years. All those bribes were piled high on her bed, topped with a note that explained everything she wanted him to know.

It was liberating to put into words how she’d felt in their marriage. Despite how desperately she wanted to leave, Dorothea couldn’t find it in herself to be scathing or cold in her explanation. Instead, she opted for honesty. He was a decent man looking for a wife to spoil and keep at home. She married him and then realized that wasn’t the life she wanted. His tight grip ultimately drove her out, but she wished him luck in finding a woman that would ease into that embrace.

Turning over all of those thoughts, Dorothea was almost surprised to find herself at the graveyard gates. Taking a deep breath and readjusting her bag, Dorothea walked inside and saw Ashe on a bench with two horses grazing on young grass beside him. When a twig snapped under her feet, Ashe looked over with surprise that morphed into a gentle smile.

“Are you ready?” Ashe sat patiently on the bench.

Dorothea swallowed, her heart hammering in her chest. She felt lightheaded and giddy and terrified. Still, she nodded. Rather than wait for Ashe to respond, Dorothea walked up to one of the horses and patted their neck. A plate screwed to her bridle said “Molly,” and putting a name to the creature felt wonderful. Ashe got to his feet and scratched the other horse’s shoulder before raising a foot and pushing it into a stirrup. Swinging up into his saddle, Ashe gathered his reins and waited for Dorothea.

Dorothea walked her horse to the bench and used it as a step up to get on. Once she was settled, she looked at Ashe and nodded again. Leading the way, they walked towards one of the gates. With every thud of hooves on the dirt, Dorothea’s tension melted away. It felt right to go and Ashe’s certainty and evenness as he led the way further eased her.

“–orothea!” A distant, enraged shout over racing hoofbeats made Dorothea’s blood turn cold.

“Ashe, we have to go.  _ Now. _ ” Dorothea urged her horse up to a trot, allowing them a few yards before pushing them to a canter.

Ashe followed and rode up next to Dorothea. “Is that him?”

“Yes, I was as quiet as I could be. I’m so sorry, I–” Dorothea felt herself coming loose at the seams.

Ashe stopped her before she could fall apart. “It’s okay, Thea. Just keep a steady pace and Molly will get us home before you know it.”

“Okay,” Dorothea sighed.

Together, Ashe and Dorothea continued to canter away. They cut through the forest, shaking off Dorothea’s screaming, belligerent husband. His yells faded away as trees filled the space between them. Dorothea only realized she was crying when tears landed on her hands. Sniffling, she looked over at Ashe and reminded herself that it was too late to second guess.

When they reached a clearing in the forest, Ashe pulled up his horse and settled into a walk. Dorothea followed suit, patting Molly’s neck to calm herself. Wiping her eyes and taking a shaky breath, Dorothea looked over to find Ashe staring at her with concern.

“I’m alright. This is just a lot to process now that it’s actually happening.” Dorothea squeezed her eyes closed and dug up the remaining resolve she had before meeting Ashe’s eyes again.

“I understand. Take all the time you need.” Ashe waved his hand for Dorothea to follow him back into the trees at a walk.

Dorothea followed, remaining quiet and working through her thoughts and emotions. She mimicked Ashe’s pace changes as he weaved through the woods, stopping at creeks to let the horses drink and rest. He never pushed Dorothea to talk, instead filling the silence with information about the forest. With so much to distract her, the journey came to an end before Dorothea realized how much ground they’d covered. The sky began to brighten as they broke through the treeline, emerging on top of a hill overlooking a small village.

“This is it. My village, and the farm is over there,” Ashe said, pointing to the other side of the village full of large, neatly organized fields.

“Wow…” Dorothea was stunned by the cozy village glowing in the early rays of the rising sun.

Ashe reached over and squeezed Dorothea’s shoulder. “Why don’t we rest here for a bit and enjoy the view? I have breakfast in my saddle bag.”

Dorothea answered by swinging off of her horse and pulling open her bag. Ashe did the same and took the horses to a particularly lush patch of grass, tying them to a tree stump. Digging through her bag, Dorothea pulled out the one gift from her husband that she’d brought with her: a high-end bottle of red wine.

“Would wine with breakfast be alright with you?” Dorothea shook the bottle.

Ashe looked stunned for a second before he started laughing. The sound was infectious, prompting Dorothea to snort and giggle along with him. She was still struggling with her emotional response to running away with Ashe, but the break in the mood felt like a step towards peace and acceptance.

Uncorking the bottle of wine, Dorothea plopped down in the grass and stared out at her new home. Ashe settled next to her and draped his arm over her shoulder. Taking the bottle, Ashe got the first sip of wine. A dramatic pop as he pulled his lips of the bottle made Dorothea laugh again. Taking the bottle back, their cool fingers brushed. Dorothea revelled in the spark that touch created, using it to ground herself.

As the first people in the village emerged from their homes into the early morning light, Dorothea knew she’d made the right choice.


End file.
